Minocycline alters expression of inflammatory markers in autonomic brain areas and ventilatory responses induced by acute hypoxia.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Microglia are presumed to be the source of inflammatory mediators that contribute to hypoxia-induced neuroinflammation. However, the relationship between microglial activity during hypoxia and inflammatory responses in specific autonomic brain regions is not well understood. Therefore, we hypothesized that acute hypoxia initiates an immune response in the central nervous system elicited by an increased expression of inflammatory mediators in specific brain areas related to autonomic control.

High-fat diet-induced hypertension and autonomic imbalance are associated with an upregulation of CART in the dorsomedial hypothalamus of mice.

We evaluated herein whether diet-induced obesity alters sympathovagal balance, blood pressure, and neuropeptides levels at the hypothalamus and brainstem of mice. Male C57BL6J mice fed with a high-fat (HFD) or a high-fat high-sucrose (HFHSu), or a regular chow diet (C) for 8 weeks were evaluated for metabolic parameters and blood pressure, the latter being performed in conscious freely moving mice. Spectral analysis from the records of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiac pulse intervals (PI) was performed to analyse the autonomic balance in the cardiovascular system.

Early Training-Induced Reduction of Angiotensinogen in Autonomic Areas-The Main Effect of Exercise on Brain Renin-Angiotensin System in Hypertensive Rats.

Background: Exercise training (T) blunts functional deficits and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) hyperactivity in hypertensive individuals. There is no information on T-induced temporal changes of brain RAS. We evaluate now the simultaneous effects of T on functional responses and time course changes in the expression/activity of brain RAS components in autonomic cardiovascular-controlling areas.

Chronic absence of baroreceptor inputs prevents training-induced cardiovascular adjustments in normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We investigate whether arterial baroreceptors mediate the training-induced blood pressure fall and resting bradycardia in hypertensive (SHR) and normotensive rats (WKY). Male SHR and WKY rats, submitted to sino-aortic denervation (SAD) or sham surgery (SHAM group), were allocated to training (T; 55% of maximal exercise capacity) or sedentary (S) protocols for 3 months. Rats were instrumented with arterial and venous catheters for haemodynamic measurements at rest (power spectral analysis) and baroreceptor testing.